It is typical in the electronics industry to employ various pins or posts to connect components to a printed circuit board. Generally, the circuit board includes a plurality of closely placed holes or pads in a particular configuration to match the configuration of the pins of a particular component. The holes are commonly through-plated with a conductive material and adapted to have the pins or posts extending from a connector or component in continuous conductive contact with the holes. Often, the pins are soldered to the board and to the component, providing an essentially permanent connection. However, in addition to direct component connection, various connectors may be used to interface between a circuit board and other circuit boards or external components or devices such as sensors, various semiconductor chips or the like. Flexible ribbon strips may be used to interface the boards or devices where direct interface is not desirable, such as interfacing a field-mounted device with a circuit board. The ribbon strips usually include end blocks or plugs having a plurality of pins or posts therein. The end blocks on a circuit ribbon may mate with connectors mounted on the devices or boards to be interfaced. These connectors are inserted into the through holes on the circuit board, with the connectors comprising an insulative polymer block having a plurality of apertures, each aperture including a conductive receptacle for connection with a respective pin for interfacing with other components.
While various connectors are available within the art, the search continues for connectors with improved locking features that provide good conductive contact between external devices and the circuit board, while limiting the potential for inadvertent disconnection. This is particularly important in attaining a low-cost solution to miniaturization (with pin spacings as small as 1/20 inch).